New locality records and additional information on the Bombus (Hymenoptera: Apidae) fauna of Turkey

Background. The article presents the results of the research on bumblebees (Hymenoptera: Apidae: Bombus) housed in the Lodos Entomological Museum (Ege University, Izmir, Turkey). Bumblebees play a key role in ecosystems as pollinators. However, these insects are under threat due to changes in land use and agricultural practices, habitat fragmentation and the effects of pesticides. There are 47 Bombus species occuring on the territory of Turkey. The aim of this study is to present new locality records of the material on the Bombus fauna of Turkey preserved in the Lodos Entomological Museum, Turkey. Materials and Methods. The objects of our research were bumblebees collected from different localities of Turkey between 1975 and 2016 and housed in the Lodos Entomological Museum. Insects were collected by researchers, students and amateurs. We used stereoscopic microscope MBS-2 and specialized keys for bumblebee identification. The classification of bumblebees follows P. H. Williams. Results. We analyzed 121 specimens of bumblebees that belong to six species (Bombus terrestris, B. argillaceus, B. hortorum, B. campestris, B. fragrans, B. ruderarius) and Bombus lucorum-complex (including two very similar species Bombus cryptarum and B. lucorum). The information on the specimens’ location and brief notes on the plants on which they were foraging is provided. Five of the analyzed species and Bombus lucorum-complex are listed in the category “Least Concern” of the IUCN Red List. Bombus fragrans is listed as “Endangered” and is under threat from the intensification of agriculture, habitat shifting and alteration, climate change (droughts, temperature extremes), besides this species is also subject to commercial collection. Conclusions. We found new locality records for three Bombus species: B. campestris recorded from Izmir for the first time, B. terrestris – from Kocaeli and B. hortorum from Antalya, Aydın, Eskişehir and Izmir provinces. Further studies aiming to improve the knowledge on Bombus fauna should focus on collecting in little-known areas and some specific habitats of Turkey.